Vail Daily letter: Minturn’s benefits

It seems that there is now another carrot for the Minturn citizens. Maybe if the stars align, Dean Adler will release some of the $11.6 million sitting in a bank to the Minturn citizen.

The Town Council is supposed to give him a priority list of what “public benefits” are most important to us.

The council is saying the purchase of the forest land is their first priority. Wrong.

Here is a quote from a recent Town Council packet: ” Battle Mountain public benefits require prioritization.”

I went in front of the council and told them that forest land purchase is not part of any public benefit. Forest land money is a multi-million dollar loan, up to $22 million, which the citizens have to pay back, plain and simple.

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“Public benefits” are part of the $11.6 million sitting in the bank.

So my “public benefit” priority list is:

1) Bike path, sidewalks – these will increase safety and create community interaction.

2) Recreation center – this promotes health, community interaction and is supported by Dean Adler’s GID.

So it will not cost the citizens one penny to support and upkeep it. Plus these will provide jobs.

I must be making a difference in Minturn because a council member’s wife spoke after me and said she wanted to start a bike-path committee. Good for her.

You can also contact me at 970-390-1460 if you would like to give input on the bike path and sidewalks.

Also, some people are stepping up to remove our town attorney, Allen Christensen. They have been going around collecting a lot of signatures to get Christensen out. He serves at the leisure of Town Council, and this is not an elected position.

There seems to be some hypocrisy in Minturn because people seem to want change, yet they vote for the same old council people who got us into this mess. Now they pass around a letter to get rid of our attorney.

Folks, more of you needed to vote for me to help get this change you now want.

Don’t get me wrong, Allen Christensen needs to go. I mean, we have a $180 million contract that isn’t worth a cup of coffee, and he made a lot of money on this worthless contract, but the citizens got nothing.

If the citizens do get any money, it is because Dean Adler wants to try and bribe the citizens because he must need something from us.

I say bribe away, Dean Adler. The Minturn citizens will take it, but it has to be cash up front with no fine print.

This is a good bribe because the citizens get something, not an individual.

You all need to check out my website, http://www.minturntimes.com, because a business in Minturn put a toilet outside their business that said “free public restroom.” I have a picture of it. I love creative people.

This is what I mean when I say more people need to speak up. Good for that business.

The Vail Daily needs to make that a “Hit.”

Our small-minded council members have no clue how to help our businesses or our citizens. Maybe we need public restrooms and signage, etc., in downtown Minturn to help our businesses and guests, which would also raise town revenue. Amazing how that works.

I hope my “public benefit” No. 1, the bike path-sidewalk committee, takes off and we get the money from Adler so I can bike and walk with my family safely in Minturn next summer.

If we do not get that money from Dean Adler, then Minturn needs to talk to Vail to improve Minturn.

Excuse me while I go use the best “free public restroom,” no magazine needed, just talk to people passing by, restroom in the valley.

Frank Lorenti

Minturn